Adelaide City Council is undertaking a pilot project with the Australian China Business Council (ACBC) to help city businesses become better prepared for growth in inbound Chinese tourists.
The project running from April to June will see up to 12 inner city businesses take part in on-site inspections carried out by friendly Chinese-speaking auditors.
Following the inspections, the businesses will receive recommendations on how they can become more ‘Chinese ready’ such as utilising signage improvements, menu translations and local Chinese media advertising opportunities.
The project is titled “Adelaide City Huanying Ni” which translates to “Adelaide City Welcomes You” and will integrate with local and Chinese-language social media platforms such as WeChat and Weibo, connecting visitors with online support.
Lord Mayor Martin Haese said local businesses that have been identified as capable or have the potential to better cater for Chinese visitors will be approached and, following the initial three-month trial, a review will be undertaken.
“Council will then measure the uptake, impact and overall benefit, with the possibility of extending the project to more businesses and other areas in 2016-17.
“More and more tourists from China are choosing to visit Adelaide and this is a fantastic initiative for local businesses to welcome so many new customers.
“A ‘China 101’ information toolkit is also being produced to provide businesses with useful tips and advice on everything from Chinese marketing to cultural awareness.”
Once ready, the toolkit will be available online and through customer points. These initiatives follow last year’s successful collaboration with the Confucius Institute on interactive workshops to help local businesses benefit from the rise in Chinese visitors to the City.
ACBC Tourism Committee Chair Anthony Coles said it was terrific that the Council was supporting an Industry-led initiative to help bridge the services gap in the local market.
“Our research with Chinese visitors last year highlighted a number of areas for improvement. This is one of a few projects we are driving to lead the change.”
Both the business pilot project and the toolkit are clear actions that have been identified through the development of Council’s Tourism & Visitor Services Action Plan, expected to be presented to Council in May.
